Ford Explorer 2006–2010
4th generation · U251
NHTSA data through 12 August 20261,480 complaints, 1,260 with mileageMethod
On this generation, failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 37,000 and 93,765 miles.
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 8 complaints (0.6%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 11,000
- 25%
- 37,000
- Median
- 64,000
- 75%
- 93,765
- 90%
- 126,888
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–5,000 | 84 | 6.7% |
| 5,000–10,000 | 32 | 2.5% |
| 10,000–15,000 | 36 | 2.9% |
| 15,000–20,000 | 39 | 3.1% |
| 20,000–25,000 | 28 | 2.2% |
| 25,000–30,000 | 30 | 2.4% |
| 30,000–35,000 | 43 | 3.4% |
| 35,000–40,000 | 46 | 3.7% |
| 40,000–45,000 | 77 | 6.1% |
| 45,000–50,000 | 51 | 4.0% |
| 50,000–55,000 | 52 | 4.1% |
| 55,000–60,000 | 46 | 3.7% |
| 60,000–65,000 | 81 | 6.4% |
| 65,000–70,000 | 60 | 4.8% |
| 70,000–75,000 | 70 | 5.6% |
| 75,000–80,000 | 36 | 2.9% |
| 80,000–85,000 | 65 | 5.2% |
| 85,000–90,000 | 46 | 3.7% |
| 90,000–95,000 | 27 | 2.1% |
| 95,000–100,000 | 35 | 2.8% |
| 100,000–105,000 | 52 | 4.1% |
| 105,000–110,000 | 30 | 2.4% |
| 110,000–115,000 | 15 | 1.2% |
| 115,000–120,000 | 15 | 1.2% |
| 120,000–125,000 | 25 | 2.0% |
| 125,000–130,000 | 23 | 1.8% |
| 130,000–135,000 | 12 | 1.0% |
| 135,000–140,000 | 11 | 0.9% |
| 140,000–145,000 | 16 | 1.3% |
| 145,000–150,000 | 10 | 0.8% |
| 150,000–155,000 | 6 | 0.5% |
| 155,000–160,000 | 9 | 0.7% |
| 160,000–165,000 | 8 | 0.6% |
| 165,000–170,000 | 6 | 0.5% |
| 170,000–175,000 | 3 | 0.2% |
| 175,000–180,000 | 5 | 0.4% |
| 180,000–185,000 | 8 | 0.6% |
| 185,000–190,000 | 3 | 0.2% |
| 190,000–195,000 | 6 | 0.5% |
| 195,000–200,000 | 5 | 0.4% |
| 200,000+ | 8 | 0.6% |
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Owners filed 1,480 complaints with NHTSA about the 2006–2010 Ford Explorer, and 1,260 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 37,000 and 93,765 miles. The median is 64,000 miles.
The most-reported areas are the transmission and driveline (28.9% of complaints, typically around 65,000 miles), the engine and its cooling system (12.6% of complaints, typically around 46,000 miles), the engine (8.4% of complaints, typically around 82,000 miles).
1 recall campaign cover this generation.
What fails, and when
- Transmission and driveline65,000median 65,000 miles, middle half 40,000 to 94,000
- Engine and its cooling system46,000median 46,000 miles, middle half 37,000 to 68,000
- Engine82,000median 81,728 miles, middle half 63,000 to 110,000
- Electrical system64,000median 63,757 miles, middle half 40,000 to 101,000
- Seats66,000median 65,965 miles, middle half 12,000 to 93,000
- Throttle and speed control36,000median 36,500 miles, middle half 8,000 to 73,000
- Problems owners could not categorise108,000median 108,405 miles, middle half 80,000 to 158,000
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transmission and driveline | 427 | 28.9% | 65,000 | 40,000–94,000 |
| Engine and its cooling system | 187 | 12.6% | 46,000 | 37,000–68,000 |
| Engine | 125 | 8.4% | 82,000 | 63,000–110,000 |
| Electrical system | 117 | 7.9% | 64,000 | 40,000–101,000 |
| Seats | 86 | 5.8% | 66,000 | 12,000–93,000 |
| Throttle and speed control | 67 | 4.5% | 36,000 | 8,000–73,000 |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 50 | 3.4% | 108,000 | 80,000–158,000 |
| Hydraulic brake circuit | 40 | 2.7% | 40,000 | 15,000–69,000 |
| Steering | 37 | 2.5% | 82,000 | 42,000–105,000 |
| Brakes | 34 | 2.3% | 98,000 | 73,000–130,000 |
Which systems, and when
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 64,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 28.9% of complaints (427 reports, 366 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 65,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 40,000 and 93,765 miles.
A single system taking 28.9% of all complaints is a concentration worth noting. It means that for this generation, most of what owners reported came back to one area of the car rather than being distributed across many small faults.
The engine and its cooling system accounts for 12.6% of complaints (187 reports, 174 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 46,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 37,000 and 67,875 miles.
The engine accounts for 8.4% of complaints (125 reports, 106 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 81,728 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 63,000 and 110,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 7.9% of complaints (117 reports, 98 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 63,757 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 40,000 and 101,000 miles.
Seats account for 5.8% of complaints (86 reports, 73 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 65,965 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 12,000 and 93,000 miles.
Throttle and speed control accounts for 4.5% of complaints (67 reports, 57 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 36,500 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 8,000 and 73,000 miles.
Differences between model years
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2006 model year drew the most — 788 complaints — while 2009 drew the fewest at 49. The median year sits at 217.
That makes 2006 an outlier: roughly 3.6 times the median year of this generation. A single year standing that far apart usually reflects either a first-year issue that was later corrected, or a component change introduced for that year. Anyone shopping this generation has a straightforward reason to prefer a different year, all else being equal.
Recalls and what they cover
NHTSA records 1 recall campaign covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.
Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.
Reported severity
Of the 1,480 complaints filed against this generation, 61 reported a crash; 18 reported a fire; 60 reported an injury; 54 reported a fatality. Crash-involved reports represent 4.1% of the total.
These are owner-reported outcomes, not verified investigations, and they are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. They are included because the distinction between a fault that strands a car and a fault that causes a collision is the one that matters most, and it is not visible in a complaint count alone.
What this means if you are buying one
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 37,000 and 93,765 miles, with a median of 64,000. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, the transmission and driveline and the engine and its cooling system are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The engine and its cooling system in particular shows a median failure mileage of 46,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
Documented problems
Engine 2006–2010
4.6L 3-valve Modular V8 variable cam timing (VCT) phaser rattle and cam-phaser-related ticking; also difficult-to-remove two-piece spark plugs that can seize and break in the head.
Engine 2006–2010
4.0L SOHC V6 timing chain cassette failure (same rear-cassette design as prior generations).
Transmission 2006–2010
5R55S solenoid pack and servo bore wear continuing from the third generation.
By model year
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 788 | 679 |
| 2007 | 271 | 237 |
| 2008 | 217 | 186 |
| 2009 | 49 | 37 |
| 2010 | 155 | 121 |
Recalls (1)
| Campaign | Date | Component |
|---|---|---|
| 10V161000 | 2010-05-03 | Seats:front Assembly:recliner |
What owners reported
I own a 2006 Explorer eddie bauer with 3000 miles on it. Here is the problem, just before coming to a complete stop at stop light, stop sign or whatever, the engine revs to 1200-1500 rpms for just a brief second. I am not giving the car any gas to induce this occurrence. I have no idea why the car is doing this…
2006 · Transmission and driveline
New 2006 Ford explore vibration at 45 & 60 MPH shakes SUV. During test drive dealer thought the problem was a flat spot on a tire from sitting on the lot. After driving the SUV for several days the vibration continued. Returned to dealer for correction. Suv received new drive shaft, and two rear 1/2 shafts. Problem…
2006 · 20 miles · Transmission and driveline
Tl*the contact owns a 2006 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the glare from the dashboard reflects onto the windshield, making it very difficult to see the road. The failure was noticed while driving 55 MPH. The manufacturer acknowledged the failure and stated that the vehicle was designed in that manner.…
2006 · 59 miles · Visibility equipment
I purchased a 2006 eddie bauer Explorer in june of last year and have had transmission issues with it since i hit 1000 miles. I have had it into the dealership 4 times and they have adjusted, replaced a computer, did other transmission work and the vehicle still demonstrates the same issue. This problem happens…
2006 · 100 miles · Transmission and driveline
Built from 1,260 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-12 · open data · reproduce this page